1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to exporting a subset of multi-dimensional records from a dataset, where the dataset represents a dimensionally-modeled fact collection. More specifically, the present invention relates to causing one or more multi-dimensional records to be graphically selected, and exporting the selected multi-dimensional records either in aggregated or in un-aggregated or raw form.
2. Background of the Invention
When interacting with and/or analyzing large datasets, where, for example, each dataset may contain a million or more multi-dimensional records, it can be difficult, impractical, and even impossible for users to consider the entire datasets all at once. Instead, users often prefer to focus on smaller subsets of records. Sometimes, users may select a subset of records that are related to a particular analysis from a large dataset. Other times, users may wish to distinguish normal records from anomalous or erroneous ones.
One way for users to select a subset of records of particular interest from a large dataset is to display all the multi-dimensional records from the dataset textually, such as in a spread sheet, and then select those records of interest manually. However, this process may be very tedious and time consuming. In fact, it may be impractical and even impossible to display a million or more multi-dimensional records textually. And even if such large number of records could be displayed textually, it would be almost impossible for users to go through the entire dataset in order to locate and select those records of particular interest in any reasonable amount of time. In addition, understanding the inter-relationships of these records, such as determining which records are related to each other for a particular type of analysis, may be very difficult when the records are displayed textually.
Accordingly, what are needed are systems and methods to address the above-identified problems.